The Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival takes place this weekend on Nimmo’s Pier from tomorrow September 23rd to 25th. Among the feature events are the World Championship Oyster Opening competition which this year will see an unprecedented 20 international champions vie with each other for the title.
Countries represented include USA, Estonia, China, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Great Britain. The Irish competitor will be selected tomorrow night in a bid to prevent reigning champion Anti Lempick of Estonia securing a third win in a row. Can he do it or will one of the new territories like China present a new champion?There is plenty of mischief and merriment to be had throughout the weekend in the form of such events as the annual Masquerade Mardi Gras Gala which this year takes a tour of Galway’s West Village before ending the night at the Festival marquee.
Revellers will soak up some culture in the Galway Arts Centre with an Oyster and Prosecco reception to live music, followed by starter course and raucous Mardi Gras Ceílí at Monroe’s Live. The party then parades Mardi Gras style to the Festival Marquee for main course, desert and dancing til the wee hours.
On Sunday the hugely popular Féile Bia na Mara Wild Atlantic Tastes is back and this year’s line-up of cookery demonstrations features:
12.00 “Sugar Crush!” a kids’ cookery demonstration
13:00 “Abalone & Seaweed” with Cindy O’Brien (Mungo Murphy’s )
14:00 “Taste the Atlantic” with Bord Iascaigh Mhara.
15:00 “Taking the mystery?out of preparing and cooking Oysters” with Michael O’Meara award-winning chef and author of ‘Seafood Gastronomy’ ?
16:00 “Sustainable Seafood” ?Kevin Hynes, head chef of Dock 1 Seafood Bar & Restaurant ?
17:00 “The Cooking Artisan Farmers - from Sea to Land” Gabriel Flaherty ?
With live bands and kids workshops this promises to be a great day out for all. Kids under 12 go free while adult tickets are €15
Tickets are available now from www.galwayoysterfestival.com The Festival Programme is available at www.galwayoysterfestival.com 2016 World Championship confirmed competitors are:
Belgium - Xavier Caille
Canada - Daniel Notkin
Czech Rep - Tomas Hladik
Denmark - Jesper Knudsen
Britan - Fredrick Lindfors
Estonia - Anti Lepik
Finland - Johann Schlag
Hong Kong - Cheung yu Wah
Ireland – The Irish representative is selected at the national competition on Fri Sept. 23
Italy - Luca Mantovani
Japan - Mr Sohsei Kurihara
Norway - Marius Stang Bunaes
New Zealand - Iosefa Kalashini
Singapore - Ong Chin Xian
USA - Duke Landry
France - James Leduc
Netherlands - Corne Van Dijke
Sweden - Johan Malm
Spain - Jaret Arias
China- Luo XiaoBing
